Battery-mounting structure

ABSTRACT

According to one embodiment, a battery-mounting structure includes a first housing, a second housing including a display device including a display screen, a hinge configured to attach the second housing to the first housing rotatably between a first position in which the display screen is covered with the first housing and a second position in which the display screen is exposed, and a battery configured to be attached to the first housing and including a recess configured to accommodate a part of the second housing in the second position.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No.13/269,390, filed Oct. 7, 2011, which is based upon and claims thebenefit of priority from the Japanese Patent Application No.2010-288822, filed Dec. 24, 2010; the entire contents of each of whichare incorporated herein by reference.

FIELD

Embodiments described herein relate generally to a battery-mountingstructure.

BACKGROUND

An electronic apparatus comprises a battery attached to a main housing.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

A general architecture that implements the various features of theembodiments will now be described with reference to the drawings. Thedrawings and the associated descriptions are provided to illustrate theembodiments and not to limit the scope of the invention.

FIG. 1 is an exemplary plan view of an electronic apparatus according toa first embodiment.

FIG. 2 is an exemplary perspective view showing the undersurface of theelectronic apparatus shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is an exemplary sectional view taken along line A-A of theelectronic apparatus shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is an exemplary sectional view of a battery pack of theelectronic apparatus shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 5 is an exemplary sectional view taken along line A-A of theelectronic apparatus shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 6 is an exemplary sectional view taken along line A-A of theelectronic apparatus shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 7 is an exemplary sectional view taken along line B-B of theelectronic apparatus shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 8 is an exemplary plan view showing the inside of the displayhousing of the electronic apparatus shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 9 is an exemplary rear elevational view of the display device shownin FIG. 8.

FIG. 10 is an exemplary perspective view showing the back surface of thedisplay device shown in FIG. 8.

FIG. 11 is an exemplary perspective view showing a neighborhood of ahinge of the electronic apparatus shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 12 is an exemplary side view of the electronic apparatus shown inFIG. 1.

FIG. 13 is an exemplary sectional view of a modification of theelectronic apparatus shown in FIG. 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Various embodiments will be described hereinafter with reference to theaccompanying drawings.

In general, according to one embodiment, a battery-mounting structurecomprises a first housing, a second housing comprising a display devicecomprising a display screen, a hinge configured to attach the secondhousing to the first housing rotatably between a first position in whichthe display screen is covered with the first housing and a secondposition in which the display screen is exposed, and a batteryconfigured to be attached to the first housing and comprising a recessconfigured to accommodate a part of the second housing in the secondposition.

Referring to the drawings, embodiments will be described below.

FIGS. 1-12 show an electronic apparatus 1 according to one embodiment.The electronic apparatus 1 is, for example, a notebook computer. Theelectronic apparatus to which the present embodiment is applicable isnot limited to the above. The present embodiment is widely applicable tovarious electronic apparatuses including a cellular phone, smartphone,personal digital assistant (PDA) and game console. The electronicapparatus 1 is an example of the “battery-mounting structure”.

As shown in FIG. 1, the electronic apparatus 1 comprises a main unit 2(first unit), a display unit 3 (second unit), and a pair of hinges 4 a,4 b. The main unit 2 is an electronic apparatus main body accommodatinga main board. The main unit 2 comprises a main housing 5. The mainhousing 5 is an example of a “first housing.” As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2,the main housing 5 comprises an upper wall 6, a lower wall 7, and aperipheral wall 8, and takes the form of a flat box.

When the electronic apparatus 1 is placed on a desk, the lower wall 7faces the desk surface D (see FIG. 3). The lower wall 7 is substantiallyparallel to the desk surface D. The upper wall 6 extends substantiallyparallel to the lower wall (i.e., extends substantially horizontally)with a space between the upper wall 6 and lower wall 7. A keyboard 9 isattached to the upper wall 6. The keyboard 9 is an example of an “inputportion.” As the input portion, another inputting mechanism, such as atouch panel, may be used. The peripheral wall 8 stands relative to thelower wall 7, and connects a peripheral portion of the lower wall 7 to aperipheral portion of the upper wall 6.

The display unit 3 is rotatably (openably) connected to a rear endportion of the main unit 2 by hinges 4 a, 4 b. The display unit 3 isrotatable between a first position in which the display unit 3 is tiltedto cover the main unit 2 from above and a second position in which thedisplay unit 3 is open relative to the main unit 2.

As shown in FIG. 1, the display unit 3 comprises a display housing 11and a display device 12 accommodated in the display housing 11. Thedisplay housing 11 is an example of a “second housing.” The displayhousing 11 comprises a front wall 13, a rear wall 14, and a peripheralwall 15. The display device 12 is, for example, a liquid crystaldisplay, but is not limited to it. The display apparatus 12 comprises adisplay screen 12 a on which images are displayed.

When the display unit 3 is in the first position, the front wall 13 ofthe display housing 11 faces the main unit 2. The front wall 13comprises an opening portion 13 a at which the display screen 12 a ofthe display device 12 is exposed. In other words, the display housing 11is coupled by the hinges 4 a, 4 b to the main housing 5 rotatablybetween the first position in which the display screen 12 a is coveredwith the main housing 5 and the second position in which the displayscreen 12 a is exposed.

The rear wall 14 extends substantially parallel to the front wall 13with a space between the rear wall 14 and the front wall 13. Theperipheral wall 15 stands relative to the front wall 13 and rear wall14, and connects a peripheral portion of the front wall 13 to aperipheral portion of the rear wall 14. The front wall 13 is an exampleof a “first wall.” The rear wall 14 is an example of a “second wall.”The rear wall 14 faces the display device 12 from the opposite side ofthe front wall 13.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, a battery pack 17 is attached to a rear endportion of the main housing 5. The battery pack 17 is an example of the“battery.” The display housing 11 comprises a pair of protrusions 18 a,18 b separately provided on the right and left ends of the displayhousing 11. The protrusions 18 a, 18 b protrude from the display housing11 to the respective sides of the battery pack 17.

As shown in FIG. 1, a hinge attachment portion 19 is provided betweeneach of the protrusions 18 a, 18 b and the battery pack 17. The hingeattachment portion 19 is part of the rear end portion of the mainhousing 5. The hinges 4 a, 4 b each have a hinge rotation shaft 20. Thehinge rotation shaft 20 is substantially parallel to an axial directionof a cell (described later) of the battery pack 17.

The hinge rotation shaft 20 extends between the protrusion 18 a, 18 b ofthe display housing 11 and the hinge attachment portion 19 of the mainhousing 5, and attached to and supported by the protrusion 18 a, 18 band the hinge attachment portion 19. With this structure, the displayscreen 11 rotates around the hinge rotation shaft 20 relative to themain housing 5.

First, the structure of the battery pack 17 will be described.

As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the battery pack 17 comprises a case 21(battery case) and cells 22 (battery cell) accommodated in the case 21.The cells 22 each take the form of a cylinder, such as a dry cellbattery. The case 21 accommodates, for example, six cells 22.

As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the cells 22 are aligned in front and rearrows. The cells 22 include first cells 22 a in the first row (frontrow), and second cells 22 b in the second row (rear row). In thisspecification, “front,” “rear,” “left,” and “right” are defined from theuser's point of view. Namely, the front is the user side, and the rearis the side opposite to the user side.

As shown in FIG. 4, two first cells 22 a are aligned in the first row,and four second cells 22 b are aligned in the second row. The firstcells 22 a and the second cells 22 b are aligned in series, i.e., in anaxial direction of the cells 22, in their respective rows.

As shown in FIG. 3, the battery pack 17 comprises a first portion 24(front portion) accommodating the first cells 22 a, and a second portion25 (rear portion) accommodating the second cells 22 b. The first portion24 comprises a first arc portion 24 a curved along the outer contour ofthe first cell 22 a. The second portion 25 comprises a second arcportion 25 a curved along the outer contour of the second cell 22 b. Thesecond portion 25 is farther from a center portion of the main housing 5than the first portion 24. Namely, the second portion 25 is farther fromthe keyboard 9 than the first portion 24. The first portion 24 and thesecond portion 25 are integral with each other.

The second portion 25 is shifted to the display housing 11 in the firstposition relative to the first portion 24. More specifically, the secondcell 22 b is located at a higher level than the first cell 22 a. Thefirst portion 24 and the second portion 25 are provided substantiallyalong the outer contours of the first cell 22 a and the second cell 22b, respectively. Therefore, the second portion 25 is lifted relative tothe first portion 24, and bulges to a higher level than the firstportion 24.

The battery pack 17 comprises a first end portion 27, which is a frontend portion, and a second end portion 28, which is a rear end portion.The first end portion 27 is adjacent to the main housing 5, and providedwith a connecter 29 (see FIG. 4) to the main housing 5. The second endportion 28 is located opposite to the first end portion 27, i.e.,opposite to the main housing 5, and forms part of the exterior of theelectronic apparatus 1.

Since the second portion 25 is shifted to the above relative to thefirst portion 24, a concave portion 30 (first concave portion) isprovided in the second end portion 28 of the battery pack 17. Theconcave portion 30 is an example of “first recess”. The concave portion30 is provided in a lower end portion of the battery pack 17.

The concave portion 30 corresponds to the difference in level betweenthe first portion 24 and the second portion 25. Namely, the concaveportion 30 is a space portion formed under the second portion 25 byshifting the second portion 25 to the above to be positioned at a higherlevel than the first portion 24. Space S is defined between the concaveportion 30 and the desk surface D on which the main housing 5 is placed.

As shown in FIG. 5, when the display housing 11 is in the secondposition, a part of the display housing 11 is accommodated in theconcave portion 30 of the battery pack 17. Namely, when the displayhousing 11 is in the second position, the part of the display housing 11enters under the second portion 25 of the battery pack 17 into the spaceS between the concave portion 30 and the desk surface D. Accordingly,the part of the display housing 11 is accommodated in the space Sbetween the concave portion 30 and the desk surface D.

As shown in FIG. 5, in the second position, the display housing 11opens, for example, substantially 180 degrees relative to the firstposition. When the display housing 11 is in the second position, inwhich the display housing 11 opens substantially 180 degrees relative tothe first position, the part of the display housing 11 enters into thespace S between the concave portion 30 and the desk surface D. In otherwords, since the part of the display housing 11 enters into the space S,the display housing 11 can open substantially 180 degrees relative tothe first position. The display housing 11 may not necessarily opensubstantially 180 degrees, or may open more than substantially 180degrees.

As shown in FIG. 5, the hinge rotation shaft 20 is shifted from thecenter of the second end portion 28 of the battery pack 17. The centerof the second end portion 28 of the battery pack 17 is the center C ofthe second cell 22 b of the battery pack 17 in the present embodiment.The hinge rotation shaft 20 is located farther from the display housing11 in the first position than the center C of the second cell 22 b.

More specifically, the hinge rotation shaft 20 is located lower than thecenter C of the second cell 22 b. Further, the hinge rotation shaft 20is shifted rearward from the center C of the second cell 22 b. Namely,the hinge rotation shaft 20 is farther from the first cell 22 a than thecenter C of the second cell 22 b.

As shown in FIG. 6, the battery pack 17 comprises a bulge 31 protuberantrelative to the outer contours of the first cell 22 a and second cell 22b between the first portion 24 and the second portion 25. The bulge 31is provided in correspondence with the degree of the difference in levelbetween the first portion 24 and the second portion 25. The bulge 31accommodates a functional component 32. An example of the functionalcomponent 32 is a circuit board for stabilizing the operation of thecells 22. The functional component 32 is not limited to the aboveexample.

When the display housing 11 is in the second position, an end portion 33of the display housing 11 comes into contact with the bulge 31 of thebattery pack 17. The hinges 4 a, 4 b of the present embodiment may nothave a stopper. The rotation of the display housing 11 is restricted bythe part of the display housing 11 coming into contact with the bulge 31of the battery pack 17. In other words, the bulge 31 serves as a stopperfor restricting the rotation of the display housing 11. Namely, sincethe battery pack 17 is provided with the bulge 31, the hinges 4 a, 4 bneed not be provided with a stopper.

As shown in FIG. 7, in the second position, the display housing 11 islocated below the upper surface of the keyboard 9 and the upper surfaceof the battery pack 17, and the rear wall 14 of the display housing 11is substantially on the same level as the lower wall 7 of the mainhousing 5.

Next, the structure of the display housing 11 will be described.

As shown in FIG. 3, the second portion 25 of the battery pack 17 isshifted to the above relative to the first portion 24, and bulges to ahigher level than the first portion 24. Therefore, the battery pack 17is provided with a convex portion 35 (first convex portion) directed tothe display housing 11 in the first position. The convex portion 35 isan example of the “first projection”.

The display housing 11 comprises a concave portion 37 (second concaveportion) corresponding to the convex portion 35 of the battery pack 17.The concave portion 37 is an example of the “second recess”. When thedisplay housing 11 is in the first position, the concave portion 37faces the convex portion 35 of the battery pack 17, and at least part ofthe convex portion 35 of the battery pack 17 enters and accommodated inthe concave portion 37 of the display housing 11.

As shown in FIG. 8, the display housing 11 comprises a main portion 40,a first end portion 41 and a second end portion 42. The main portion 40accommodates the display device 12. The first end portion 41 and thesecond end portion 42 do not overlap the display device 12. The firstend portion 41 is connected to the hinges 4 a, 4 b, and serves as alower end portion of the display housing 11 when the display housing 11stands. The second end portion 42 is located opposite to the first endportion 41, and serves as an upper end portion of the display housing 11when the display housing 11 stands.

As shown in FIG. 3, the concave portion 37 is provided in the first endportion 41 of the display housing 11. Since the concave portion 37 isprovided, the first end portion 41 of the display housing 11 is thinnerthan the other portion of the display housing 11, such as the mainportion 40. As shown in FIG. 6, the thinner first end portion 41 entersand accommodated in the space S between the concave portion 30 of thebattery pack 17 and the desk surface D when the display housing 11 is inthe second position.

As shown in FIG. 1, the concave portion 37 extends in the widthdirection of the display housing 11 along the first end portion 41 ofthe display housing 11. The concave portion 37 extends between the pairof protrusions 18 a, 18 b.

Next, an installation structure of the display housing 11 will bedescribed.

As shown in FIGS. 3 and 8, the display housing 11 accommodates a harness43. In FIG. 8, the harness 43 is indicated by hatching for convenienceof explanation. The harness 43 is a bundle of a plurality of cables 44.The harness 43 comprises a protection member 45 which brings the cables44 together and covers them. The protection member 45 is formed of, forexample, an insulating material.

As shown in FIG. 8, the harness 43 is accommodated in the first endportion 41 of the display housing 11. The display device 12 comprises anend portion 47 extending along the concave portion 37. The harness 43comprises a first portion 43 a extending along the end portion 47 of thedisplay device 12, and a second portion 43 b extending into oneprotrusion 18 a of the display housing 11.

As shown in FIGS. 3 and 8, the cables 44 are arranged abreast in thefirst portion 43 a so that the first portion 43 a is flat. As shown inFIG. 3, the cables 44 each face the concave portion 37 of the displayhousing 11 in a thickness direction of the display housing 11 (firstdirection X). The cables 44 are aligned in a direction crossing thethickness direction of the display housing 11. In the presentembodiment, the cables 44 are aligned in a direction substantiallyorthogonal to the thickness direction of the display housing 11 (seconddirection Y).

As shown in FIGS. 3 and 8, the first portion 43 a of the harness 43extends along the concave portion 37 of the display device 11. In thefirst portion 43 b of the harness 43, at least a part of each of thecables 44 faces the display device 12 in the second direction Y.

As shown in FIGS. 3 and 8-10, the display device 12 comprises a frontsurface 51 comprising the display screen 12 a, a back surface 52 locatedopposite to the front surface 51, and a peripheral surface which standsrelative to the front surface 51 and back surface 52 and connects aperipheral portion of the front surface 51 to a peripheral portion ofthe back surface 52. The front surface 51 is an example of a “firstsurface.”

The back surface 52 comprises a first portion 52 a farthest from thefront surface 51 in the back surface 52, and a second portion 52 brecessed relative to the first portion 52 a. Namely, the distancebetween the front surface 51 and the first portion 52 a of the backsurface 52 is the maximum thickness of the display device 12. In thesecond portion 52 b, the display device 12 is thinner than in the firstportion 52 a. The surface of the first portion 52 a is an example of a“second surface.”

The second portion 52 b is provided in the end portion 47 of the displaydevice 12. The second portion 52 b is provided with a connector 54 towhich the harness 43 is connected. The thickness of the connector 54 issubstantially the same as or smaller than the difference in levelbetween the first portion 52 a and the second portion 52 b. Therefore,the connector 54 is located in the maximum thickness of the displaydevice 12, and is not substantially outstanding relative to the firstportion 52 a. Namely, the connector 54 is provided between the firstsurface and the second surface.

The display device 12 comprises a frame 55 forming the peripheralsurface 53 of the display device 12. The frame 55 comprises a cutoutportion 55 a corresponding to the connector 54. The cutout portion 55 afaces the connector 54, and exposes the connector 54 in an insertingdirection of the harness 43.

As shown in FIGS. 3 and 8, the harness 43 is connected to the connector54 in the end portion 47 of the display device 12. The harness 43 isconnected to the display device 12 in the maximum thickness of thedisplay device 12. The phrase “connected to the display device 12 in themaximum thickness of the display device 12” means that the harness 43 isconnected to the display device 12 between the first surface and thesecond surface. As shown in FIG. 8, the harness 43 extends from the endportion 47 of the display device 12 to an area facing the concaveportion 37.

As shown in FIG. 8, in the second portion 43 b of the harness 43, thecables 44 are bundled in a columnar form. Therefore, the second portion43 a is thicker than the first portion 43 a. The second portion 43 b isguided from the protrusion 18 a of the display housing 11 to the hingeattachment portion 19 of the main housing 5, and extends into the mainhousing 5.

As shown in FIGS. 11 and 12, the upper surface of the hinge attachmentportion 19 is swollen to have substantially the same outer contour asthe upper surface of the second portion 25 of the battery pack 17.Namely, the hinge attachment portion 19 comprises a convex portion 61directed to the display housing 11 in the first position. The convexportion 61 is an example of the “second projection”. The convex portion61 of the hinge attachment portion 19 is continuous with the convexportion 35 of the battery pack 17. At least a part of the convex portion61 of the hinge attachment portion 19 faces the concave portion 37 ofthe display housing 11 in the first position, and is accommodated in theconcave portion 37.

As shown in FIG. 12, the inner surface 61 a of the convex portion 61 ofthe hinge attachment portion 19 is a curved surface bulging to theoutside of the main housing 5 along the outer contour of the convexportion 61. Therefore, the inner space of the hinge attachment portion19 is larger than the inner space of the other area of the main housing5. When the display housing 11 rotates relative to the main housing 5,the harness 43 is loosened and tightened. The harness 43 can be loosenedand tightened within the inner space of the convex portion 61. Namely,the harness 43 can be loosened and tightened within the relatively largeinner space of the convex portion 61. Consequently, the stress appliedto the harness 43 is reduced.

As shown in FIG. 2, the lower surface of the hinge attachment portion 19is depressed to have substantially the same outer contour as the lowersurface of the battery pack 17. Namely, the lower surface of the hingeattachment portion 19 comprises a concave portion 62 continuous with theconcave portion 30 of the battery pack 17. Like the concave portion 30of the battery pack 17, a part of the display housing 11 is accommodatedin the concave portion 62 of the hinge attachment portion 19 when thedisplay housing 11 is in the second position.

As shown in FIG. 4, the first end portion 27 of the battery pack 17accommodates the connector 29. As shown in FIG. 3, the first end portion27 is thinner than the first portion 24, and a step is formed betweenthe first end portion 27 and the first portion 24 based on thedifference in thickness therebetween. In other words, the first portion24 protrudes lower than the other portion in the battery pack 17,thereby forming a protrusion 64 of the battery pack 17.

As shown in FIG. 2, the rear end portion of the main housing 5 comprisesanother protrusion 65 continuous with the protrusion 64 of the batterypack 17. The protrusion 64 of the battery pack 17 and the protrusion 65of the main housing 5 are continuous with each other, and form a seriesof protrusion 66 extending over substantially the total width of themain housing 5 on the lower surface of the rear end portion of the mainhousing 5. The protrusion 66 comprises a leg 67 of the main housing 5,and serves as a grip which a user can put their hand when the usercarries the electronic apparatus 1.

This structure enables a larger rotatable angle of the display housing11. More specifically, the battery pack 17 of the present embodimentcomprises, in its rear end portion, the concave portion 30 in which partof the display housing 11 is accommodated when the display housing 11 isin the second position. This concave portion 30 enables the displayhousing 11 to rotate to a larger angle without coming into contact withthe main housing 5 or the battery pack 17, thereby increasing therotatable angle of the display housing 11.

Further, since the concave portion 30 is provided in the lower endportion of the battery pack 17, the electronic apparatus 1 looks thinnerwhen viewed from behind the electronic apparatus 1. This structurecontributes to improvement in design.

In the present embodiment, the battery pack 17 comprises the firstportion 24 accommodating the first cells 22 a and the second portion 25accommodating the second cells 22 b. The battery pack 17 is providedwith the concave portion 30 by shifting the second portion 25 relativeto the first portion 24. With those structures, the capacity of thebattery can be secured even though the concave portion 30 is provided,and provision of the concave portion 30 does not much create a deadspace.

In the present embodiment, the concave portion 30 of the battery pack 17defines a space S between the concave portion 30 and the desk surface D,in which part of the display housing 11 is accommodated. With thisstructure, even if the thickness (size) of the concave portion 30 of thebattery pack 17 is reduced to some extent, the concave portion 30 cansufficiently accommodate a part of the display housing 11. Therefore,the thickness of the electronic apparatus 1 can be reduced by reducingthe size of the concave portion 30 of the battery pack 17.

In the present embodiment, the display housing 11 is rotatable betweenthe first position and the second position in which the display housing11 is open substantially 180 degrees relative to the first position.With this structure, the electronic apparatus 1 can be used in a fullopen state. Further, since the electronic apparatus 1 can be used withthe display housing 11 substantially 180 degrees open, if the electronicapparatus 1 comprises, for example, a touch panel to provide the displayscreen 12 a with an inputting function, the display housing 11 issupported by the desk surface D as well as the hinges 4 a, 4 b, and aninputting operation can be easily performed.

Further, since the display housing 11 can open substantially 180degrees, better attachment of the harness 43 can be achieved. Namely, anassembly operation can be performed with the display housing 11substantially 180 degrees open. With this structure, the harness 43 canbe attached to the electronic apparatus 1 in the most tightened state.Therefore, the harness 43 is not tightened too much in an ordinary use,the load on the harness 43 is reduced, and the possibility of, forexample, breaking of the harness 43 can be lowered.

For comparison, let us assume that the hinge rotation shaft 20 matchesthe center C of the second cell 22 b. In this case, when the displayhousing 11 rotates through a predetermined angle less than 180 degrees,the display housing 11 comes into contact with the battery pack 17, anda further rotation of the display housing 11 is restricted.

In contrast, in the present embodiment, the hinge rotation shaft 20 islocated farther from the display housing 11 in the first position thanthe center C of the second cell 22 b, for example, located lower thanthe center C of the second cell 22 b. With this structure, the displayhousing 11 can avert contact with the battery pack 17 and the mainhousing 5, and rotate through a greater angle.

In the present embodiment, the hinge rotation shaft 20 is locatedfarther than the first cell 22 a than the center C of the second cell 22b, i.e., shifted to the rear side of the electronic apparatus 1. Withthis structure, even if the depth (horizontal depth) of the concaveportion 30 of the battery pack 17 is small, the concave portion 30 canaccommodate a part of the display housing 11 rotated to the secondportion. In other words, the battery pack 17 can be provided with thebulge 31, and the installation space within the battery pack 17 can beincreased.

In the present embodiment, the display housing 11 comprises the pair ofprotrusions 18 a, 18 b protruding from the display housing 11 to therespective sides of the battery pack 17, and the protrusions 18 a, 18 bare each supported by the hinge rotation shaft 20. With this structure,the hinge rotation shaft 20 can be easily located farther from thedisplay housing 11 in the first position than the center C of the secondcell 22 b.

In the present embodiment, the battery pack 17 comprises the bulge 31protuberant relative to the outer contours of the first cell 22 a andsecond cell 22 b between the first portion 24 and the second portion 25.The bulge 31 accommodates the functional component 32. Namely, by takingthe advantage of the difference in level between the first portion 24and the second portion 25, the bulge 31 corresponding to the differencein level is provided, and an additional installation space is producedwithin the battery pack 17. By providing the functional component 32 insuch a bulge 31, high-density mounting is enabled.

In the present embodiment, the display housing 11 faces the secondportion 25 of the battery pack 17 when the display housing 11 is in thefirst position, and comprises the concave portion 37 in which a part ofthe second portion 25 is accommodated. With this structure, even thoughthe second portion 25 of the battery pack 17 is shifted to the aboverelative to the first portion 24, the concave portion 37 of the displayhousing 11 can compensate for the protuberance of the second portion 25,and the electronic apparatus 1 can be suppressed from being thicker.This structure contributes to realization of a thinner electronicapparatus.

In the first end portion 41 of the display housing 11, the displaydevice 12 is not provided. Therefore, the first end portion 41 tends tobe a dead space. In the present embodiment, the concave portion 37 isprovided in the first end portion 41 of the display housing 11. Namely,the concave portion 37 is provided by effectively using the dead spaceof the first end portion 41.

In the present embodiment, the first end portion 41 of the displayhousing 11 is provided with the concave portion 37 and is thinner thananother portion of the display housing 11, and the thinner first endportion 41 is accommodated in the concave portion 30 of the battery pack17 when the display housing 11 is in the second position. With thisstructure, a large rotatable angle of the display housing 11 can besecured even when the concave portion 30 of the battery pack 17 is small(narrow). Namely, the electronic apparatus 11 can be made thinner byreducing the size of the concave portion 30.

Next, another aspect of the structure of the present embodiment will bedescribed.

With the structure of the present embodiment, a thinner andhigher-density mounting electronic apparatus can be realized. Morespecifically, in the present embodiment, the electronic apparatus 1comprises the main housing 5 to which the battery pack 17 provided withthe convex portion 35 is attached, and the display housing 11 providedwith the concave portion 37 corresponding to the convex portion 35 ofthe battery pack 17. With this structure, the concave portion 37 of thedisplay housing 11 can compensate for the protuberance of the convexportion 35 of the battery pack 17, and the electronic apparatus 11 canbe made thinner.

In the present embodiment, the plurality of cables 44 are mounted in thefirst end portion 41 of the display housing 11 provided with the concaveportion 37, and are arranged abreast in a direction crossing thethickness direction of the display housing 11. With this structure, thefirst end portion 41 of the display housing 11, inside of which isnarrowed by providing the concave portion 37, is effectively used tomount components. Accordingly, high-density mounting of the electronicapparatus 1 is enabled.

In the present embodiment, the display housing 11 comprises the mainportion 40 in which the display device 12 is accommodated, the first endportion 41 not overlapping the display device 12. The concave portion 37is provided in the first end portion 41. With this structure, since theconcave portion 37 does not overlap the display device 12, the concaveportion 37 can be easily provided in the display housing 11, and theconcave portion 37 may be formed relatively deep.

In the present embodiment, the concave portion 37 extends along the endportion 41 of the display housing 11, and the harness 43 comprises thefirst end portion 43 a extending along the concave portion 37. With thisstructure, the inner space of the relatively large portion correspondingto the concave portion 37 can be effectively used, and muchhigher-density mounting of the electronic apparatus 1 is enabled.

In the present embodiment, the display device 12 comprises the endportion 47 extending along the concave portion 37, and the cables 44 areconnected to the end portion 47 of the display device 12 and extend fromthe end portion 47 of the display device 12 to an area facing theconcave portion 37. With this structure, the cables 44 can be mounted byeffectively using the space of the first end portion 41 of the displayhousing 11, not the spaces on the right and left sides of the displaydevice 12.

In the present embodiment, the display device 12 comprises the firstsurface comprising the display screen 12 a, the second surface oppositeto the first surface, and the connector 54 between the first surface andthe second surface. The cables 44 are connected to the connector 54.This structure makes it possible to form the display housing 11 thinner.

In the present embodiment, at least a part of the cables 44 faces thedisplay device 12 in a direction substantially orthogonal to thethickness direction of the display housing 11. With this structure, thecables 44 can extend from the display device 12 to the first end portion41 of the display housing 11 without being bent much. Therefore, theelectronic apparatus 1 can be made much thinner, and muchhigher-mounting of the electronic apparatus 1 is enabled.

In the present embodiment, an end portion of the main housing 5comprises the convex portion 61 continuous with the convex portion 35 ofthe battery pack 17. The cables 44 are guided from the display housing11 to the end portion of the main housing 5 through one of the pair ofprotrusions 18 a, 18 b, and can be tightened and loosened in the spacewithin the convex portion 61. With this structure, a part of the cables44 which are loosened when the display unit 3 is closed can be acceptedby the swelled space in the convex portion 61, and the stress applied tothe cables 44 can be reduced. Consequently, the possibility of breakingof the cables 44 can be lowered, and reliability of the electronicapparatus 1 can be improved.

Next, referring to FIG. 13, a modification of the electronic apparatus 1will be described.

The cables 44 need not be arranged abreast in a direction substantiallyorthogonal to the thickness direction of the display housing 11, and maybe arranged abreast along the inner surface of the concave portion 37 asshown in FIG. 13. This structure also makes it possible to realize athinner and higher-density mounting electronic apparatus.

The embodiments may not necessarily be embodied just as described above,and the structural elements of the embodiments may be modified withinthe spirit of the invention in the stage of implementation. Further, theembodiment is variously embodied by appropriately combining a pluralityof structural elements disclosed in the above embodiments. For example,some structural elements may be omitted from all the structural elementsdisclosed in the above embodiments. Moreover, structural elements indifferent embodiments may be combined where necessary.

From the viewpoint of increasing the rotatable angle of the displayhousing 11, the concave portion 37 of the display housing 11 may not beprovided. Even if the concave portion 37 is not provided in the displayhousing 11, provision of the concave portion 30 to the battery pack 17can increase the rotatable angle of the display housing 11.

From the viewpoint of realizing a thinner and higher-density mountingelectronic apparatus, the concave portion 30 of the battery pack 17 maynot be provided. The electronic apparatus 1 can be made thinner byproviding the display housing 11 with the concave portion 37corresponding to the convex portion 35 of the battery pack 17. Further,high-density mounting is enabled by arranging a plurality of cablesabreast in a direction crossing the thickness direction of the displayhousing 11 in the end portion 41 of the display housing 11 provided withthe concave portion 37. The cables may not necessarily be connected tothe display device 12, and may be connected to, for example, an antennaor a camera module.

From either viewpoint described above, the battery pack 17 may nb. Thehinges 4 a, 4 b are not limited to the ones supporting the protrusions18 a, 18 b protruding to the respective sides of the battery pack 17 asdescribed in the above embodiment, and may have a different structure.The display housing 11 may not necessarily be configured to opensubstantially 180 degrees, and may be configured to rotate through onlyto a predetermined angle less than 180 degrees.

The display housing 11 may not necessarily be located below the uppersurface of the keyboard 9 in the second position. The battery pack 17may not necessarily comprise the bulge 31. The cables 44 may beconnected to a left or right end portion of the display device 12, notthe end portion 47 extending along the concave portion 37 of the displaydevice 12. The cables 44 may be connected to a connector protruding fromthe back surface of the display device 12. The hinge attachment portion19 may not necessarily comprise the convex portion 61, and may be flat.

In this specification, some members are described by assigning numberssuch as “first” and “second.” Those numbers are assigned forexplanation, and may be changed where necessary.

While certain embodiments have been described, these embodiments havebeen presented by way of example only, and are not intended to limit thescope of the inventions. Indeed, the novel embodiments described hereinmay be embodied in a variety of other forms; furthermore, variousomissions, substitutions and changes in the form of the embodimentsdescribed herein may be made without departing from the spirit of theinventions. The accompanying claims and their equivalents are intendedto cover such forms or modifications as would fall within the scope andspirit of the inventions.

What is claimed is:
 1. An electronic apparatus comprising: a firsthousing comprising a first end; a second housing comprising a second endand a display device, the display device comprising a display screen; ahinge attached to the first end, the hinge configured to attach thesecond housing to the first housing rotatably between a first positionand a second position, the display screen covered with the first housingin the first position and the display screen not covered with the firsthousing in the second position; and a battery pack configured to beattached to the first end and comprising a third end, the third endcomprising a first recess into which the second end is configured to beinserted in the second position.
 2. The electronic apparatus of claim 1,wherein, the first recess comprises a concave surface hollowing towardan inside of the battery pack, and the second end is configured to facethe concave surface in the second position.
 3. The electronic apparatusof claim 1, wherein, the second end is configured to cover the batterypack from an upper side in the first position.
 4. The electronicapparatus of claim 1, wherein, the first housing is configured to be onan outer placement surface, and the first recess is configured to facethe outer placement surface.
 5. The electronic apparatus of claim 4,wherein, the second housing comprises a rear wall, the rear wallcovering a rear surface of the display device, and a part of the rearwall is configured to enter between the first recess and the outerplacement surface in the second position.
 6. The electronic apparatus ofclaim 1, wherein, the first housing comprises an input receivingportion, the hinge comprises a rotation shaft, and an edge of the secondend is configured to be closer to the input receiving portion than therotation shaft in the second position.
 7. The electronic apparatus ofclaims 1, wherein, the first housing comprises an input receivingportion, wherein the entire second housing is configured to be lowerthan a top of the input receiving portion in the second position.
 8. Theelectronic apparatus of claim 1, wherein, the first housing comprises apair of protrusions on respective sides of the battery pack, therotation shaft configured to support one of the protrusions, each of thepair of protrusions comprises a second recess into which a part of thesecond end is configured to be inserted in the second position.
 9. Theelectronic apparatus of claim 1, wherein, the second housing is rotatedsubstantially 180 degrees in the second position relative to the firstposition.
 10. The electronic apparatus of claim 1, wherein, the batterypack comprises a first portion and a second portion, the second portionprotruding higher than the first portion, and the second housingcomprises a third recess, the third recess configured to face the secondportion of the battery pack in the first position and to accommodate apart of the second portion.
 11. The electronic apparatus of claim 1,wherein the second end is thinner than another portion of the secondhousing.
 12. An electronic apparatus comprising: a first housingcomprising a first end, the first housing configured to be on an outerplacement surface; a second housing comprising a second end and adisplay device, the display device comprising a display screen; a hingeattached to the first end, the hinge configured to attach the secondhousing to the first housing rotatably between a first position and asecond position, the display screen covered with the first housing inthe first position and the display screen not covered with the firsthousing in the second position; and a battery pack configured to beattached to the first end and comprising a third end, the third endcomprising a first recess, the first recess configured to face the outerplacement surface, wherein the second end is configured to enter betweenthe first recess and the outer placement surface so that the second endis not come into contact with first housing and the outer placementsurface in the second position.
 13. The electronic apparatus of claim12, wherein, the first recess comprises a concave surface hollowingtoward an inside of the battery pack, and the second end is configuredto enter between the concave surface and the outer placement surface inthe second position.
 14. The electronic apparatus of claims 12, wherein,the first housing comprises an input receiving portion, wherein theentire second housing is configured to be lower than a top of the inputreceiving portion in the second position.
 15. The electronic apparatusof claim 12, wherein the second end is configured to cover the batterypack from an upper side in the first position.
 16. The electronicapparatus of claim 12, wherein the second housing comprises a rear wall,the rear wall covering a rear surface of the display device, and a partof the rear wall is configured to enter between the first recess and theouter placement surface in the second position.
 17. The electronicapparatus of claim 12, wherein the battery pack comprises a first cell,a second cell, a bulge and a component, the bulge bulging toward theouter placement surface between the first cell and the second cell, andthe component accommodated in the bulge.
 18. The electronic apparatus ofclaim 12, wherein the battery pack comprises a first portion and asecond portion, the second portion protruding higher than the firstportion, and the second housing comprises a second recess, the secondrecess configured to face the second portion of the battery pack in thefirst position and to accommodate a part of the second portion.
 19. Theelectronic apparatus of claim 12, wherein the second end is thinner thananother portion of the second housing.
 20. The electronic apparatus ofclaim 12, wherein the second housing is rotated substantially 180degrees in the second position relative to the first position.